[ARDF] Bastrop State Park on fire

[Kenneth E. Harker]

On Sun, Sep 04, 2011 at 09:18:09PM -0700, Kenneth E. Harker wrote:
>      The 2008 USA ARDF Championships were held in Bastrop State Park, east
> of Austin, Texas.  The combination of severe drought, extreme temperatures
> (today was our 80th day of the year with a high temperature of 100F or 
> higher), very low humidity, and high winds from the non-rainy side of 
> Tropical Storm Lee combined today to result in wildfires across central 
> Texas.  The biggest fire near Austin is currently burning in and around 
> Bastrop State Park.  It is 10 miles wide, and has already burned 14,000 
> acres and 300 houses, mostly east and south of the park.  The park has 
> been evacuated.  So far, no reports of injuries, but the fire is essentially 
> uncontained.
> 
>      This is the best online video I can find.  The road that the car is 
> driving on is SH-21, a stretch of which is the northern border of the state 
> park.
> 
>      http://www.newsradioklbj.com/News/Story.aspx?ID=1532738

      "According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 2,000 to 3,000 
acres of the 6,500-acre Bastrop State Park have been burned. The park is 
surrounded by flames, but no structures inside the park have been destroyed."
All of the structures are on the west side of the park.  [6500 acres = ~2600 
hectares]:  http://weareaustin.com/fulltext/?nxd_id=176337

     The Houston Orienteering Club currently has a two-day meet scheduled 
for the park on October 29-30.

     If you didn't come to the 2008 USA ARDF Championships, here are some
links:

http://www.texasardf.org/usa2008/
http://www.wm5r.org/photos/2008_usa_ardf/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zoodale/2508124197/in/set-72157605157529562/
http://www.wa6nol.com/2008_usa_ardf_championships.htm
http://picasaweb.google.com/mbayern/2008TexasARDF02?authkey=QyYDJ0z4G5g

-- 
Kenneth E. Harker WM5R
kenharker at kenharker.com
http://www.kenharker.com/